Apparatus for locating sunken vessels.



J. F. & D. NEAL. APPARATUS FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov 5. 1915.

1,178,094. Patented Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lnventorJ Attorneys Witnesses J. F. & D. NEAL.

APPARATUS FOR LOCATING SUNKEN VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, I915.

Patented Apr. 4,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wit nesses Attorneys UNITED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. NEAL AND DOREL NEAL, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

APPARATUS .ron. LOCATING SUNKEN 'vnssELs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 5, 1915. Serial No. 59,854.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known'that. we, JOHN F. NEAL and VDOREL NEAL, citizens of the United States,

residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard, State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Apparatus for Locating Sunken Vessels, ofwhich the following is a specification. I

- The present invention is an appliance for attachment to a submarinevessel or other ship, whereby should the vessel sink for any reasonWhatever, one or more floats or buoys can be liberated to rise to thesurface of the water for signaling to other vessels, the location of thesunken vessel, and the floats or buoys serving to lift into place meansfor the guidance and attachment of grapnels in order that the vessel maybe salvaged. This provides means whereby the vessel can be readilylocated if it. has sunk,

and whereby the vessel can be raised. In case of a submarine vessel, ifthe vessel has not been submerged too long, the crew can also be savedby the prompt location and salvaging of the vessel.

It is also Within the scope of the invention to provide an apparatus ofthe nature indicated which is comparatively simple, compact andinexpensive in construction, which can be readily applied to submarlneand other vessels, and which will serve its office in a thoroughlypractical, reliable and eflicient manner.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the.v

r buoys being liberated. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a sunkensubmarine vessel turned over on one side with both floats or buoysliberated. Fig. 3 is an enlarged'section detail of one of the improveddevices with the float or buoy in normal position. Fig.- 4 is anenlarged sectional detail of the coupling for connecting the two cablesof eachefloat, and providing means for the engagement of a grapnel,whereby the vessel can be raised.

In the drawings, the inventionis illustrated as being applied to asubmarine vessel, although it is to be understood at the outset that theapparatus may be applied to various ships.

The submarine illustrated is supplied with. a pair-of the improveddevices, one

fore and one aft of the conning tower, al though it is to be understoodthat any number of the devices may be employed as may be deemedexpedient. I a

In carrying out the invention, the shell or deck 1 of the vessel isprovided with a circular opening 2 for each of the devices, and atapered or frusto-conical receptacle 3 has Patented Apr. 4,1916.

its larger open end provided 'withan outturned annular flange or rim 4riveted or otherwise secured to the under surface of the shell 1 aroundthe opening 2, so that the receptacle 3 depends within the vessel, thesmaller lower end of the receptacle being closed. Normally fitted withinthe mouth of the receptacle 3 is a hollow sheet metal float or buoy 5,embodying a cup-shaped section 6 having an outturned annular flange orrim 7, and a cap section 8 having-its margin riveted or otherwisesecured upon the rim 7. The walls of the float 5 are tapered or frusto-conical -so as to fit snugly within the mouth portion of thereceptacle '3 to provide a tight fitting closure for the receptacle 7 pto normally keep out the Water, the rim 7 fitting snugly upon the shelland around the opening 2. The cap section 8 of the float 5 is preferablyconvexed or dome-shaped to better resist the water pressure to which thefloatis subjected when the vessel is submerged. -The cap section 8 ofthe float has attached to the central portion thereof an eye bolt 9which may be employed for the attachment 'of a cable or other device tothe float when desired. The bottom of thefloat 5 is concaved or dished,and is provided with a central depending boss 10 having a threadedsocket.

A vertical spindle or rod 11 is engaged centrally through the bottom ofthe receptacle 3 and projects axially within said re,- ceptacle, theupper end of the spindle 11 being threaded into the boss 10. The spindle11 is slidable througha packing'device 12 carried by the bottom of thereceptacle ceptacle 3 for providing a tight closure.

The handle 14 is employed for unscrewing the spindle 11 from the float,to liberate the float.

Attached to the bottom of the float 5 is an eye bolt 'or other attachingelement 17, to which is attached the upper end of a light cable 18, anda heavy or strong cable 20 has its lower end attached to one or more eyebolts 19 secured to the bottom or lower end of the receptacle 3.Theadjacent ends of the cables 19'20 are connected by a coupling 21which embodies a tapered or conical shell 22 having an aperture 23 atits apex or smaller end through which the lower end of the cable 18extends, the cable 18b'eing doubled or looped, as at 24, within theshell 22. The larger end or base of. the shell 22 has an aperture 25through which the upper end of the cable 20projects, said cable 20 beinglooped or doubled, as at 26, Within the shell 22. The shell 22 is filledwith lead or equivalent material, as at 27, whereby the ends of thecables 1820 are securely anchored within the shell 22, for attaching thecables together. The apex or smaller end of the shell 22 is uppermost,and the base or larger end is provided with. a depending annular ormarginal rib 28 for the engagement of the grapnel with the coupling 21.

'The grapnel embodies a sleeve 29 adapted to he' slid downwardly alongthe cable 18, and a plurality of arms or shanks 31 are pivotedat theirupper ends to the sleeve 29,

and the lower or free ends of the arms 31 having inwardly projectinghooks 32. The said hooks have outstanding lugs 33 at their heels, forsupporting a ring 34. The sleeve I 29 is of tapered form, and hasattached thereto, a hoisting or lifting cable 30.

The receptacle 3 is provided with a faucet or outlet valve 35 at. itslower end, which can be opened to determine Whether there is waterwithin the receptacle, or for draining the receptacle.

Ordinarily, the floats: 5 are held tightly within the receptacles 3 bymeans of the spindles 11, to exclude water from the receptacles. In caseof accident or injury, should the vessel sink, the spindles 11 areunscrewed by members of the crew or passengers, to detach the floats 5,and said floats will immedi- "ately rise to the surface of the water,pulling upward therewith, the cables 18 -20. If the water does not passunder thefloats, due to the tight fit between the floats andreceptacles, the loosened spindles 11, can be em-' ployed for jarringthe floats loose, or for ejecting the floats, so that they will rise tothe surface of the water. The floats will therefore serve to locate thesunken vessel, in order that it may be salvaged quickly andconveniently. To raise the vessel, a grapnel is guided down each of thecables 18, the

sleeve 29 of the grapnel being placed upon the said cable 18, and thegrapnel is let down by the cable 30. When the grapnel reaches thecoupling 21, the hooks 22 are separated by the coupling 21, and thenwhen the hooks 32 reach the lower end of the coupling 21, they swinginwardly under the rib 28 to get a good hold on the coupling 21. Thering 34 is then dropped, the same being guided along the cables 18 and30, and the ring 34 slides downwardly over the sleeve 29 and arms 31, tohold the hooks 32 fast to the coupling 21, the ring 34 being supportedby the lugs 33. The cable 30 can then be raised for raising the vessel,it being noted that the cable 30 is connected by the coupling 21 to theheavy cable 20. The heavy cable 20 need only be of short length, whilethe cable 18 is light since it need only be strong enough to raise thecable 20 and coupling 21. It makes no dilference whether the vessel isin upright position or is turned over on one side, the cables 20 will belifted by the cables 19 to raise the couplings 21 above the vessel, sothat the grapnels can be properly engaged I with the couplings 21. Theperson releaslng one of the floats can readily determine whether thesame has left the receptacle, by simply opening the faucet 35, and ifwater flows through the faucet, this is evidence of the fact that thefloat has left the receptacle in order that water can enter thereceptacle. It is evident, that ordinarily, the cables 18-20 are coiledup within the receptacle 3, the cables 18 being sufficiently long to letthe floats rise to the surface of the water, and if the cables 20 arenot pulled out of the receptacle 3 by the cables 18, the cables 18 canbe pulled upwardly by the members of the salvaging vessel for raisingthe couplings 21 so thatthe grapnels can be engaged therewith. 4

The pintles 11 need only be used when th devicesare employed on asubmarine vessel. since with a separate vessel, the floats willordinarily be above the water so that they have no-tendency to bedislodged accidentally.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In an apparatus of the character described, a receptacle adapted to be.carried by a vessel, a float fitting within the mouth of thereceptacle, a .U-shaped bracket having its ends attached to the bottomof the recep- In testimony that we claim the foregoing 10 tacle andhaving a cross bar therein, a spinas our own, We have hereto aflixed oursig dle slidable through the bottom of the recepnatures in the presenceof tWo Witnesses.

tacle and having one end threadedly engag- JOHN F. NEAL. mg the floatthe splndle having a handle at its other erid, the spindle beingslidable DOREL NEAL- through said bracket, and a nut threaded Witnesses:

upon the spindle and bearing against said ELWOOD HAYNES,

cross bar. GEO. W. STIDGER.

